Falling Ashes (37 page)

‘What about you?’ I said, pointing to the larger man.

‘Gregory Boil, ma’am,’ he said, tipping his hat. ‘I’m a Switcher, and I’m on a mission to find my daughter.’

‘I’ve got no idea what a Switcher is,’ I said, honestly.

‘I am able to switch places with another living creature, human, or otherwise. Say someone pushes me off a cliff … I’ll be able to switch places with them so I am standing safe and sound at the top, while they plummet towards the ground.’

I raised my eyebrows. ‘That sounds amazing! But … can’t you use that Power to get your daughter back?’

Gregory shook his head sadly. ‘Unfortunately, I must be able to
see
the person with whom I’m switching, and have had physical contact within the last few minutes.’

It was still very interesting, in my opinion. ‘Can I get a demonstration?’

Gregory Boil sighed, but he did as I asked. He reached towards me and touched my shoulder lightly. Instantly, I felt myself being transported, as though I was being sucked down a giant plug hole. It was over within a second, and I found myself facing the opposite way to which I had previously been standing. Gregory stood in the place where I had been, smiling.

‘That was odd,’ I said, a little dizzy.

‘Whoa,’ said Dagon. ‘You switched places!’

‘That’s why they call me a Switcher,’ said Gregory, stepping aside. ‘It can be unsettling at first, I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ I said, giving myself a little shake.

‘So can we join you?’ asked Terry eagerly. ‘Can we help fight your cause?’

I nodded. ‘You can come with us. Mr. Boil, you will find your daughter. And Mr. Pratchet, you will find your brother. I can help you with that, but under one condition,’ I said, my tone firm. ‘You do as I say, no questions asked. Betray us, or disobey, and you’re out of here.’

They both nodded again, their expressions relieved.

‘What did I tell you?’ Fae whispered in my ear so Gregory and Terry couldn’t hear. ‘The Realm has created their own enemy by posting your face across the country. I bet there are hundreds more willing to follow you.’

Fae was right. I had followers.

A couple of minutes later, Mr. Greenwood exited the apothecary and jogged to our side, a rucksack slung over his shoulder. He was flustered, as though he had packed in a hurry.

‘Avalon,’ he said, rather breathless. ‘I’ll come with you. Caroline has agreed to stay here and watch the business.’

‘That’s great, Mr. Greenwood,’ I said, beaming.

Fae looked Mr. Greenwood up and down, her expression stern. ‘This is Greenwood?’ she asked, nodding at him.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘He’s coming with us so he can find his son, Jaime.’

‘We haven’t got enough transport for all six of us,’ said Dagon, eying Mr. Greenwood and the two recruits.

I looked around, thinking. ‘Does either of you own a horse?’ I asked them

Gregory frowned. ‘I have a mule.’

‘Right. Good enough, I guess. Meet at the Scyre gate in an hour. Be ready to leave.’

Terry and Gregory nodded and hurried away at once.

Turning to Fae and Dagon I said, ‘I can’t believe it. They’re … they’re going to follow us.’

‘What did I tell you?’ she smirked.

‘Who are those people?’ asked Mr. Greenwood.

‘They’re like us,’ I told him. ‘Human empathisers.’

Mr. Greenwood shuffled nervously. ‘I just want my son back,’ he said.

‘Mr. Greenwood, all humans deserve to be free.’

Mr. Greenwood was about to respond, when Dagon interrupted.

‘So, what’s the plan?’ he asked.

I thought about it for a moment, calculating how long it would take to reach Concord City.

‘Dagon, you and Mr. Greenwood can take turns riding Emilija,’ I said. ‘Terry and Gregory can take turns riding the mule.’

‘You want me to
ride
on this thing?’ asked Mr. Greenwood timidly.

I nodded. ‘It’s the fastest way to travel. Either that or you can walk.’

~

An hour later we were at the Scyre gate, waiting for Terry and Gregory to arrive. They did, carrying backpacks and leading a mule. To be honest, I was surprised. I hadn’t expected them to show up.

‘Right,’ I said to the group. ‘You’re going to follow us. If you can’t keep up, that’s your own fault. It’s a long ride to Concord City, so I suggest you share the mule.’

A few minutes later, we were on the road. Mr. Greenwood rode Emilija first, while Dagon and Terry walked quickly alongside us.

According to my estimate, it should take two days to reach Concord City, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feed or shelter six people and five Vulmessians.

We made camp as the sun was setting, and I asked Terry and Gregory to collect firewood. Behind me, Dagon and Fae were whispering to one another.

‘What’s the matter?’ I asked, approaching them.

Dagon stepped away from Fae, looking guilty. ‘Nothing,’ he said quickly.

I crossed my arms, suspicious. ‘Since when are you two so friendly?’

Fae scoffed. ‘Give me a break.’

I let it slide, and paid no attention to their unusual behaviour, choosing to focus on setting up the campsite.

Once there was a roaring fire set up and Fae, Hawthorne, Shadow, and Emilija had caught enough meat for everyone, we had a small feast in a clearing in the woods.

Each person took it in turns to talk about his or her journey.

‘My brother was always outgoing,’ said Terry, picking the meat from the bones of a wild boar. ‘Always the life of the party. No one knew he was human … he was very good at compensating for his lack of Power. He made it to twenty-eight before the came for him.’

Gregory, the manlier of the two, sniffed back tears. ‘My little girl just turned ten. We thought her Power might come with time, but it never did. People started to notice, so we kept her at home, but then they started asking questions. We told everyone she was ill, and then … the Realm took her in the night. They came, and arrested me and my wife, releasing us the next day. But by then, she was nowhere to be seen.’

I didn’t have the heart to tell Terry and Gregory what may have become of their loved ones. They didn’t need to know that their memories had been wiped, and their bodies potentially sterilised so they could not breed in future.

‘I’m sorry this happened to both of you,’ I said, glancing around the circle. ‘Each of us has suffered a loss one way or the other.’

Fae shifted uncomfortably. She was the only one who had not suffered at the hands of the Realm. However, she was willing to do whatever it took to right the wrongs in the world, especially if it meant seeing her lost love again.

‘I lost my best friend,’ said Dagon after the circle had been quiet for a long while. ‘He was living as a Mage, too. I’m not sure how the Realm found out … but they did.’

‘They’ve probably got trackers,’ said Fae knowledgably.

‘Either way, he’s gone.’ Dagon looked to his left, at Mr. Greenwood.

‘They took my son,’ he said.

It was as though our group had turned into a ring of confession. I thought it was strange – these people had not been able to talk about their loss to anyone, for fear of judgement. Being related to, or befriending, a human was the worst thing a Mage could do.

‘My wife and I are Healers, and so is my eldest boy,’ continued Mr. Greenwood. ‘But Jaime … no … he couldn’t heal. When he was six, he broke his leg at school. Of course, the school staff thought he would be able to heal, so he walked around on a broken leg all day, pretending he was fine. We’ve always been very careful to make sure Jaime doesn’t sustain any injuries, bruises, or scrapes, otherwise the whole façade would be broken. Of course, there was always incidences, but usually Caroline and I were around to heal him before anyone could notice. They just thought he was healing himself.’

It saddened me to hear Jaime’s story, and I knew the struggle they had been through quite well. I had grown up with a human sister and knew how hard it was to keep such a secret.

Terry and Gregory didn’t ask any questions about the Vulmessians, and tried to ignore Willow and Rue as they ran around the campsite, howling and yapping playfully with one another. Perhaps they were too afraid to ask.

‘So, uh, Miss Redding?’ said Terry nervously. ‘What’s your plan from here?’

It felt strange to be called ‘Miss Redding’, and I had the faint inkling that Terry and Gregory might be afraid of me. I hadn’t done anything to scare them, so it was slightly unusual. However, I knew Fae would say that it was my reputation as ‘leader of the rebellion’ that was intimidating. Truth be told, I was just a nineteen-year-old girl, looking for revenge. A teenager. That’s all I was. But for some reason, these people believed in me, and it was their hope that gave me strength.

But to be honest, I didn’t have ‘a plan’. I knew what I wanted to do, but doing it was another matter entirely. If I wanted to bring down the whole Realm, I needed an army.

‘Well, there are six of us now,’ I said, throwing the bone I had picked clean into the fire. ‘Seven, when I am reunited with Jack. But we need more people if we want to successfully infiltrate the Realm.’

‘A lot more,’ chimed Fae.

‘I figure the best way to attack is from the air,’ I continued. ‘So Fae and I are able to rain fire and arrows down upon them, but you guys-’

‘Have no way to fly,’ provided Dagon, a small smile playing his lips. ‘Or don’t want to fly.’

‘I second that,’ interrupted Mr. Greenwood. I smiled, thinking of Jack, and the way he disliked flying too.

‘What is it with men and flying?’ said Fae, her expression incredulous. ‘It’s the most amazing feeling.’

‘I have no problem flying,’ said Gregory. Terry nodded his head in agreement.

‘Well, as Fae and I are the only ones who can attack from a distance,’ I said, ‘It’s probably best if the rest of you stay on the ground, anyway.’

They nodded in agreement.

‘So how do you get more followers?’ asked Mr. Greenwood.

I clapped my hands together and stood up, pacing around the circle. ‘This is where you come in,’ I said, pointing to Terry. ‘We need to spread the word that I am heading to Concord City, and I’m seeking recruits.’

‘But … won’t that alert the Realm of your arrival?’ said Dagon.

‘They already think I’m the leader of the human rebellion,’ I said. ‘So the news shouldn’t surprise them.’

‘Why Terry?’ said Fae at once. ‘I can do it.’

I shook my head. ‘Terry will be harder to capture. His rubbery frame means he can escape easily.’

Fae crossed her arms, looking sullen. It seemed she didn’t like the idea of Terry doing a more important job than her. The truth was, I couldn’t afford to lose Fae. Out of the group, she was the most likely to inflict the most damage. Although the rest of them had Powers, they were not for fighting. True, Dagon was strong after a lifetime fishing at sea, but his Power of water breathing would not come in handy during a conflict, unless the Realm had a secret swimming pool the public didn’t know about.

‘We need more Mages with attacking abilities,’ I said.

‘Attacking?’ Mr. Greenwood repeated. ‘You’re not planning on … killing people, are you?’

I frowned. ‘No, Mr. Greenwood, I don’t wish to kill anybody who does not deserve it.’

‘And how do you determine if they deserve it or not?’ he asked.

‘If they try to stop me from bringing down the Realm,’ I said.

Mr. Greenwood raised his eyebrows. ‘That seems a bit harsh. They’re just doing their jobs-’

‘They took your son!’ I said, raising my voice. ‘Do you know what they do to humans there? I am going to destroy the entire Human-Registration sector, and obliterate all recorded humans on their damn list. If we destroy the Realm, we destroy the slave market. So are you with me?’

No one spoke, or even moved a muscle.

‘Well?’ I pressed, feeling my own anger rising.

Slowly, Fae raised her hand, and I felt overwhelming affection for her. Next was Dagon. The rest followed suit.

‘Good,’ I said, sitting back down. ‘Now we focus our energies on recruiting more Mages.’

‘Where do we go?’ asked Dagon.

I had one person in mind who could help us by providing transport. Flying transport. Camryn Dreghorn.

It would be quicker to go alone, but I needed at least one other person to protect me.

‘I am going to Frost Arch with Fae,’ I said to them. ‘Dagon, you will take the others to Concord City. It’s likely we will beat you there on Hawthorne and Shadow.’

‘But why can’t I go with you?’ asked Dagon.

‘It will be faster if just Fae and I go,’ I said. ‘There is a girl in Frost Arch who may be able to help us. She breeds Pegasi, which we will be able to ride into battle. We will have an advantage if we can attack by air.’

‘Pegasi?’ said Gregory. ‘I thought they were a myth.’

I shook my head. ‘They exist, and they can be vicious animals when untrained. But with them, we will be able to attack form the air. I will go to Frost Arch and ask my friend if she will join us. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth it.’